NURS 5315 TBI Exam 2026/2027 – 25+ Questions & Answers: Traumatic Brain Injury, GCS, Concussion, Coup-Contrecoup & Diffuse Axonal Injury

This NURS 5315 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 2026/2027 study resource contains 25+ questions, answers, definitions, classifications, clinical findings, and pathophysiology review points across 6 pages. The document concentrates on traumatic brain injury, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), primary and secondary brain injury, focal and diffuse injury, closed and penetrating head trauma, coup-contrecoup injury, cerebral contusion, basilar skull fracture, diffuse axonal injury, concussion severity, increased intracranial pressure, and neurological deficits. It defines TBI as resulting from traumatic insult to the brain and notes that resulting deficits can affect physical, intellectual, emotional, and social functioning. NURS The opening material reviews TBI risk factors, causes, and neurological assessment. According to the document, etiologies include falls, motor-vehicle injuries, occupational and sports injuries, and assaults, with falls identified as the most common cause among children and older adults. The Glasgow Coma Scale is emphasized as an important indicator of injury severity, with lower scores associated in the source with greater injury severity and poorer prognosis. NURS A major section distinguishes primary brain injury from different patterns of focal trauma. Primary TBI is described as injury directly affecting the brain and potentially producing neural and glial damage through shearing and rotational forces. The resource then divides primary injury into focal and diffuse categories. Focal brain injury is limited to a particular brain region, while closed or blunt trauma occurs without disruption of the dura. The document connects closed trauma with concussion and possible intracranial hemorrhage and explains how impact and rebound can produce coup and contrecoup injuries. NURS Students review the distinction between coup, contrecoup, and contusion injuries. A coup injury occurs directly beneath the area of impact, whereas contrecoup injury occurs on the side opposite the original impact. A cerebral contusion is described as bruising of brain tissue, particularly involving the frontal and temporal lobes and frontotemporal junction, with potential consequences including cerebral edema, damaged neural tissue, increased intracranial pressure, and tissue necrosis. The resource also describes possible immediate findings following closed head injury, including loss of consciousness, loss of reflexes, transient respiratory changes, bradycardia, and low blood pressure. NURS The document further examines open or penetrating trauma and basilar skull fracture. Penetrating injury is characterized by disruption of the dura and exposure of cranial contents to the external environment. The source discusses basilar skull fracture as a fracture involving the skull base, usually the temporal bone, and associates it with cerebrospinal fluid leakage from the ear and Battle's sign, described as postauricular hematoma and swelling. These findings provide high-yield clinical recognition points for students reviewing serious head trauma. NURS Another major topic is diffuse axonal injury (DAI). The resource describes DAI as resulting from shaking forces that strain the brain and produce shearing, tearing, and stretching of nerve fibers, ultimately causing axonal damage. Severity is linked in the document to the magnitude of the shearing force. Associated acute brain swelling is discussed in relation to increased cerebral blood flow, loss of cerebral autoregulation, vasodilation, and increased cerebral blood volume. The source also connects DAI with potential neurodegenerative consequences and the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. NURS The final sections differentiate mild, moderate, and severe concussion/TBI using consciousness, amnesia, symptoms, and GCS findings as presented in the source. Mild concussion is associated with confusion, absent or brief loss of consciousness, GCS 13–15, possible amnesia, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, impaired concentration, anxiety, and attention difficulties. Moderate cerebral concussion is described as involving more prolonged loss of consciousness and post-traumatic anterograde amnesia, with the document assigning a GCS of 8–13 and discussing possible decerebrate or decorticate posturing and persistent cognitive, visual, language, mood, and perceptual deficits. NURS For severe concussion, the document gives a GCS below 8 and associates severe injury with brainstem signs, intracranial contusions, hematomas or lacerations, prolonged unconsciousness, increased intracranial pressure, and autonomic dysfunction. Potential consequences listed include cognitive deficits, pulmonary complications, impaired coordination, and compromised verbal and written abilities. The final page introduces secondary head injury, although the uploaded source ends immediately after that heading and does not provide its corresponding answer or explanation; therefore, no unsupported definition has been added here. NURS Relevant students: This resource is relevant to NURS 5315 students, graduate nursing students, MSN students, nurse practitioner students, FNP and acute-care NP students, advanced pathophysiology students, neuroscience nursing students, emergency and critical-care nursing students, and learners reviewing traumatic brain injury, neurological assessment, GCS interpretation, concussion, intracranial pressure, and diffuse axonal injury. The uploaded document does not identify a university or institution, so no unsupported university name has been included in the title. 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